Ban On Jail Smoking Carries Risks

Banning smoking in jail may seem like an excellent idea, but there are certain risks involved that cannot be ignored.

Detention center officials in Broward County are pushing for a complete smoking ban, while Palm Beach County is considering a plan allowing inmates to light up only in designated areas.

But before allowing an outright ban on smoking, Broward County Sheriff Nick Navarro should carefully consider the possible violent side-effects of forcing 3,200 angry inmates to quit their nicotine habits cold turkey.

If the proposal is approved, cigarettes will be prohibited in the Broward County`s three detention centers as of Feb. 1.

Officials aren`t waiting for that approval before moving ahead, however. Inmates who are broke no longer get free cigarettes. And, since June, inmates have not been allowed to smoke outside their cells. When they go to class, church or the recreation area, they go without cigarettes.

Beginning Nov. 15, officials said the availability of cigarettes will be cut back gradually until the total ban begins in February.

In Palm Beach County, officials said it is likely smoking will not be permitted in cells when a new $50 million county jail on Gun Club Road opens in 1993. Unlike Broward, however, there are no plans for an outright ban; there probably will be designated areas where inmates can smoke.

It is the issue of secondary smoke inhalation that is causing much of the problem at the Broward jails. Officials now stock 4,920 packs per week to sell to the 3,200 inmates in the county system. One official said the smoke is so intense that it stains the walls and causes problems with the air conditioning.

Also, three other smoke-free prisons throughout the country -- including one in Washington State, one in California and another in Virginia -- claim they have had virtually no trouble with inmates since banning cigarettes.

``We had very, very few problems as far as them carrying out any threats or anything like that,`` said Sgt. Eugene Baggott of the North County Jail in Alameda, Calif.

All the good points of the proposal suggest it is worth implementing in some form or another. Nevertheless, despite the flawless track record of the other smoke-free jails, the warnings given by some inmates of increased tension and violence should not be shrugged off as empty posturing. Improving the health of employees and inmates through mandatory non-smoking measures is worthless if their risk of encountering life-threatening violence at the prison improves right along with it.